


Make the Yuletide Gay

by mythicalquill



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Tree, F/F, Fluff, Holiday Sweaters, Holidays, rareship secret santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:18:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicalquill/pseuds/mythicalquill
Summary: Sea Mechanic Modern AU for @lxrna-polaris's rareship secret santa 2017 (organized by @dreamsheartstory) gift! Inspired by this prompt by @sparkly-burritos: "I work at the Christmas tree lot and you just had to pick the heaviest tree there didn’t you au." May include: lots of fluff, and a holiday party.





	1. O Christmas Tree!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lxrna_polaris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lxrna_polaris/gifts).



> So sorry about the title, but I just couldn't resist. I'm sure it's the #1 fic title around the holidays, isn't it? Anyways, this was supposed to be a one-shot but I have the second chapter all planned out (what else am I going to do at 3am on Christmas morning???) so that should be up sometime soon! Hope you all enjoy! (Especially Julia!!!)

“ _Silent night, holy night_ …”  


Luna was drifting down a river. The gentle waves pushed and pulled at her raft, buoying her along on its powerful current. A soft breeze tickled her face, like the tender caress of a familiar hand, Then, suddenly, the raft gave out, the water disappeared, and she was falling, falling, careening down into nothingness—  


Luna’s eyes flew open and she looked around, startled. Through her blurry, half-asleep vision, she could make out her table full of papers, the tree farm, and the figure of a girl about her age standing across from her, looking as if she had just asked a question. She was at work, and she had a customer. She quickly pulled out her earbuds and gave her head a quick shake to clear it of the remnants of sleep.  


“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”  


The girl in front of her smirked, perfect eyebrows quirked over her deep brown eyes and warm brown skin. She was wearing a large red sweater with the outline of a bird embroidered across the front, and a pair of dark blue jeans. A metal brace was laced around her left leg, and it glinted in the mid-afternoon sunlight. The outfit seemed a little light for the snowy weather, but the girl wearing it didn’t appear all that cold.  


“I asked if you were still open,” she repeated, clearly amused at the situation.  


Luna checked her watch, then vigorously rubbed her eyes. “Right, yeah, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting many customers today, it being Christmas Eve and all. Plus I haven’t been sleeping too well, so I guess I drifted o—”  


“It’s totally fine, I get it,” the girl cut her off gently. “So, what’s the deal here? I’ve never done this before.”  


Luna straightened up and rattled off her spiel on prices, payments, and procedures. “So, basically, go pick out a tree, then come find me. I can help you cut it down and carry it back to your car.” She paused, then added apprehensively, “You do have a car, don’t you? I’ve had kids coming through on bikes who tried to tie it the back. Let me tell you, that did not work out for them.”  


The girl laughed. “I do have a car. Borrowed my friend’s pick-up truck just for this, in fact.”  


Luna breathed an over-exaggerated sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I’m glad I won’t have to be patching up cuts and bruises when the operation goes south.”  


“You’re so very welcome.” The girl hesitated, then stuck out her hand. “My name’s Raven, by the way.”  


Luna shook it. “Luna. Let me know when you’ve picked your pine.”  


“Will do,” Raven called over her shoulder as she headed off towards the trees. With a small smile, Luna popped her earbuds back in and leaned back in her chair. She didn’t let her eyes close this time; she was determined not to fall asleep on this customer twice.  


She was humming along to _Let it Snow_ , wondering what movie she was going to watch that night, when Raven returned. The sweatered girl had donned mittens and a hat some time in her venture, and her face was flushed from the cold.  


“Hey, you ready?” Luna asked, getting up from her chair. Raven nodded. “All right, Raven, lead the way.” It felt a little odd to call her customer by her first name, but it would feel even weirder to address her as “ma’am” or “miss” as if the two weren’t practically the same age. Besides, it was a Christmas-tree farm. Not exactly the most formal of operations.  


As they set off into the trees, Luna felt the need to strike up a conversation. That was her duty as a good salesperson, right? Besides, she was slightly intrigued by this girl.  


“So, leaving it a little late on the Christmas-tree buying, aren’t you? Our last customers started trickling off a few days ago. Wait— you are getting this for Christmas, aren’t you? I wouldn’t want to assume you celebrate—” Luna backtracked, panicking slightly. She already had screwed up her first impression, she wouldn’t want to dig herself in any deeper.  


“Oh, it’s totally fine,” Raven assured her. “I’m having a Christmas party at my apartment tonight, and my friends only had the decency to tell me I was hosting yesterday morning. Kind of a last-minute thing.”  


“Leaving it a little late, aren’t you?”  


Raven flashed a cocky grin. “I find I work best under pressure.”  


“I wouldn’t say the same for me. Sorry about freaking out over possibly offending you, by the way. I usually try to limit my festive remarks to ‘Happy Holidays!’”  


“I’d think it’d be a safe bet that most people buying pine trees around this time of year celebrate Christmas, wouldn’t it?”  


“I’ve worked here a long time, Raven. I’ve seen some stuff.”  


Raven smirked at Luna’s impersonation of a tough, world-weary tone. “Oh yeah, like what?”  


“Well, let’s just say, it was _not_ fun being on duty when the local middle school put on Macbeth and decided that they needed some honest-to-god pine trees for the kids to carry around for Birnam Wood. I actually went to watch their production— had to see if all my hard work paid off.”  


“How was it?” Luna threw her companion a glance, but Raven seemed genuinely curious. She rubbed her chin in mock-thoughtfulness.  


“I’d rate the acting an eight, the costumes a two, and the sets a solid six-and-a half. But the amount of dead pine needles on that stage was _off the charts_. I’m pretty sure Macduff slipped on some in act five.”  


“So, pretty good show all around?” Raven deadpanned.  


“Definitely entertaining, I’ll give it that.” Looking at the girl next to her, Luna realized that she had slowed down slightly, and seemed to be leaning more heavily on her right leg.  


“Hey, are you okay to keep walking?” she asked gently. “We can take a break whenever you need to. I’m not in any hurry.”  


Raven shook her head with a wince. “Because of this old thing? Hardly bothers me anymore.” Luna flashed her a look.  


“I’m serious. There’s no shame in taking it slow. I wouldn’t want to make anything worse. That would go against my sacred oath as a pine tree salesperson.”  


Raven hesitated for a moment longer, then shrugged half-heartedly. “If you insist. Just for a few minutes, though. I can handle it.”  


Luna smiled, and took a seat on a nearby tree-trunk. “Never said you couldn’t.” Raven joined her on the trunk. It barely fit the two of them, so it was a pretty cozy situation. It seemed to Luna as if Raven was radiating warmth, but that could have just been the cold air playing a trick on her.  


Luna coughed, painfully aware of the closeness, and inquired, “So, is this party something you all do every year? You and your friends, I mean.”  


Raven bobbed her head. “Yeah, ever since I’ve known them. We’re using a kind of rotating-host type situation, which is why I got saddled with it at the last second. My friends Jasper and Monty held it last year, and that was probably the best one yet. I’m definitely going to top it, though.”  


“Oh, a little competitive, are we?”  


“You have no idea. I’m going to make their holiday get-together look like a playdate for toddlers. I’m talking full-on festive Christmas extravaganza.”  


“Sounds like a good time,” Luna remarked.  


Raven grinned in affirmation, then turned so she was facing the girl beside her. “What about you? You don’t have somewhere better to be on Christmas Eve than helping out stragglers like me?”  


Luna shook her head with a wry smile. “Nope. Most of my friends are out of town, and I’m not exactly on the best terms with my family right now. I’m planning on spending Christmas in the company of my cat and Bing Crosby. Should be fun.”  


“I’m sorry to hear that,” Raven murmured. “It’s no fun being alone on Christmas.”  


“It’s fine. It meant I could pick up this extra shift and nobody would miss me.” Luna winced. “Sorry, that made it sound really sad. It _is_ fine, really.”  


“Well, I hope you find something fun to do, get out of the house. I’ve found it’s really easy to just sit around and feel sad, and a whole lot harder to make yourself do something. But the payoff is usually worth it.”  


“Thanks.” Luna paused, and looked away. “That’s some good advice.”  


“Any time.” They sat in silence for a few more moments. Luna blew on her hands to keep them warm. Raven checked her watch.  


“Okay, I think we can keep going. I’m going to need all the time I can get to get my apartment up to standard.”  


“Alright. We can take it slow, if you need to. Let me know if you need to lean on me or anything.”  


“I just might take you up on that,” Raven replied, getting to her feet. “But I think I’m good for now.”  


As they started walking again, Raven changed the subject. “So, do you sell trees here year round? I can’t imagine that it’s a booming business anytime except the holidays. And whenever middle-schoolers put on Shakespeare.”  


Luna chuckled. “No, this is just a winter job for me. The rest of the year, I work on a clean water initiative for the lake. Lots of pollution these days. But, as it tends to freeze over this time of year, it’s useful to pick up another job on the side.”  


Raven nodded in understanding. “I get that. I’m in school right now, but I’m working a part-time job at an auto repair shop down by the waterfront.”  


“Oh, Sinclair’s Repairs? Yeah, I drive past that on my way to work.”  


“Really? That’s cool. You should stop by and say hi sometime,” Raven offered.  


“Sure, maybe I will.”  


They walked in silence for a few more moments, until Raven suddenly came to a halt. “Ah, here it is.”  


Luna raised her eyebrows. They were standing in front of what was _easily_ the heaviest tree in the lot. Its branches were long and full, its trunk was short and thick, and it seemed more likely to be topped by an actual celestial body than a traditional Christmas star. Fine, that might have been a _slight_ exaggeration, but it certainly didn’t seem that way to the one who had to carry it.  


“Raven, this thing is huge,” Luna said incredulously. “You’re _sure_ it’ll fit in your apartment? I mean, I don’t know where you live, but I assume it doesn’t have a crazily abnormal ceiling height.”  


“Come on, what’s a party without a good-sized tree? Besides, I don’t think this is unreasonably big, there are plenty of larger ones over there!” Raven gestured to her right. Luna glanced over and snorted.  


“I don’t think it’s a very good sign that you’re comparing trees from an actual forest to the ones in our farm. You see that fence? That’s the cut-off.”  


“Oh.” Raven looked sheepish, but quickly bounced back from the embarrassment. “Whatever, I think this is the perfect one. It’ll look great in my living room. Besides, it’s only for two nights.” She looked it up and down, a thoughtful expression coming across her face. “Or maybe longer… there’d be no one to complain if I keep it around till it starts to shed needles everywhere. My apartment could use the nature-y feel.”  


“So, you live alone?” Luna asked, then casually added, “No friends or significant others or family or anything?”  


“Nope,” Raven responded with a small smile. “Used to have some roommates but they all moved out. Haven’t lived with my family in years; I moved in with my first boyfriend pretty young. He turned out to be a douche, but it was better than staying at home, let me tell you. Lived with a girlfriend for a little while after that, which _also_ did not work out. On a little bit of an unlucky streak right now.”  


Luna grimaced. “I feel that. Broke up with my last girlfriend almost two years ago, and I’m definitely ready for the universe to make good on some better karma.”  


There was a beat where neither of them said anything, just looked at each other, side by side. Luna found herself noticing how pretty Raven’s eyes were, intelligent and confident. And she smelled like— what was it? Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Something Christmasy, that was for sure. Maybe she had been baking for the party.  


Then, just as silence became too much to bear, they both started talking simultaneously. Raven laughed, and gestured for Luna to go first. She obliged, feeling her face grow red. She only hoped it would be mistaken for the effects of the weather.  


“If you’re really sure this is the one, I can get to chopping it down.”  


“Oh, yeah, I’m sure. As long as it won’t be too much trouble to get to the truck…”  


Luna waved her hand dismissively as she hoisted her axe. “I’ve dealt with bigger.” That wasn’t exactly true— Raven sure had an eye for the heaviest tree they had. But Luna wasn’t about to refuse this girl her Christmas vision… and there may have been a part of her that was eager to impress.  


“Stand back,” she warned as she drew back the axe. Once Raven was a safe distance away, she swung the hatchet deftly, over and over with a satisfying “thunk!” until the pine began to topple. She jumped out of the way.  


“Timber!” Raven cried, cupping her mouth with her mittened hands. The tree thudded to the ground.  


“Let’s get this thing to your truck!” Luna proclaimed, squatting down beside the felled pine.  


“Well, you just showed how strong you are with that axe, I’m sure you can lift it. Do you work out?” Raven asked innocently.  


Luna looked over and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Yeah, I’m a black belt. So you better help me get this to your car, missy.”  


Raven lifted her hands in defense. “Woah, sure I will. Not looking for a demonstration of your badass skills.”  


“Don’t worry,” Luna told her as she wrapped her arms around the trunk. “I only bust them out in emergencies. Grab the end?”  


Raven complied, and together they lifted the enormous pine off the ground. Raven grunted under its weight. “Wow. You weren’t kidding. This is pretty heavy.”  


“Think you can handle it?” Luna teased, then added in a more earnest tone, “But seriously, we can take a break whenever you need too.”  


“I can take it. My leg may be crap, but my arms are plenty strong. And nothing like a little pain to remind you you’re alive, right?”  


“I guess you’re right.”  


They managed to carry the tree all the way to the pick-up truck in barely any time at all, despite their haul being peppered with short breaks. They kept themselves entertained as they carried/dragged the pine through the lot, exchanging stories of previous holiday disasters.  


They had to pause for a full few minutes after Raven told the story of a caroling attempt gone horribly wrong, an event that somehow ended with not one, but two phone calls to the police. Something about “disturbing the peace.”  


“I _told_ Jasper two days wasn’t enough time to learn the violin, but he was determined to prove me wrong. I honestly feel most sorry for Monty; he had to endure 48 hours worth of that stuff, while we only had the pleasure for one night. And besides, we were _caroling_! A traditionally a-cappella activity!”  


When they eventually reached the car, the pair gently lowered the gigantic tree into its trunk.  


“Whew. That was a work-out,” Raven remarked, gazing at their handiwork.  


“Yeah, come back here next time you’re thinking about lifting weights. Same benefits for half the price.”  


“Speaking of, what do I owe you?”  


They made their way over to Luna’s station, where she deposited the axe safely back in its place. She was briefly tempted to tell her "it's on me," but knew that would be unprofessional. She couldn't give discounts to every pretty girl who caught her eye, or she'd be out of a job. Instead, she grabbed her pen and helped Raven figure out the price.  


Once she had paid, Luna walked Raven to the car to see her off. It definitely wasn’t something she normally did, but she felt a strange connection with this girl in the red sweater. She would be sad to see her leave, even sadder knowing that it was unlikely they would ever meet again. And yet— she couldn’t quite bring herself to say anything about it, in fear of the feeling being unrequited.  


“So…” she started. “Good luck on your party. I’m sure it’ll be amazing.” She managed a small smile. It was clearly time to say goodbye, but neither of them moved, only stood awkwardly beside the truck.  


“Well, you know…” Raven paused, gazing at the pine, which lay quietly in the trunk. “You could be right. This _is_ a pretty big tree. It might take two to decorate it.”  


Luna glanced at her, brow furrowed. “Are you saying—” she started cautiously.  


“I’m saying… maybe you could… help? Or at least… come to the party? Only if you want to, I mean. I just thought that maybe— I thought you might be interested in—” She was clearly getting flustered, and Luna found it adorable.  


Raven continued breathlessly. “Maybe I’m reading the signals all wrong, but—”  


“Oh, no no no,” Luna interrupted in a rush. “No, you’re not. I would love to. Definitely.” She grinned in disbelief. “I just wasn’t expecting you to ask.”  


Raven laughed in relief. “I wasn’t expecting me to either. But what the heck, it’s Christmas. And it just seemed right.”  


“Christmas Eve,” Luna corrected with a smile.  


Raven gave her a playful nudge. “Close enough. Wait here for just a sec.” She darted back to Luna’s table, grabbed a pen and a slip of paper, and returned to the car, where she scrawled her digits on the sheet before handing it over.  


“Here. Text me when your shift’s over, I can give you the address.”  


Luna accepted it happily. “Great, I’ll be off around four. See you at… four thirty?”  


“It’s a date,” Raven confirmed. “Maybe you can even convince me to tone down my Christmas extravaganza.”  


“Why would I? I’d hate to come between an artist and her masterpiece.”  


“Well, I can just tell it’s going to be a success, even if I don’t manage to find live birds to reenact the Twelve Days of Christmas. I’ve just got a feeling.”  


Luna smiled at this, and they enjoyed another comfortable beat of silence as the snow began to pick up around them, the wind blowing loose strands from Raven’s ponytail. That and her flushed cheeks gave her an adorable windswept look. Luna wanted to stay in this moment for as long as she could, but she knew that they both had to get going. With one last sigh, they said their goodbyes.  


As Luna watched the truck drive off into the distance, she pressed play on _All I Want For Christmas is You_ , sat back down at her desk, and sighed happily. Four thirty couldn’t come soon enough; she just couldn’t believe she had a date for Christmas Eve. Things were definitely starting to look up, and the excitement coursing through her veins was enough to keep her awake for days.


	2. Please Have Snow and Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy everybody. Has it really been two months? Sorry about that. I did have about ¾ of this written the day after I posted the first chapter, but you know how life and procrastination go. Sorry if y’all are out of the holiday spirit! (Also, thanks to Orion for commenting on this and actually reminding me to work on it!!)  
> Hope you enjoy part two!

Raven was pacing her apartment nervously, checking her phone every few minutes. She had started on a batch of cookies and gotten out most of the decorations, but was too full of nervous energy to do much besides put together a playlist of holiday songs, which she kept tweaking every few minutes. Had Luna seemed like more of a traditional, Silent Night type? Or would she prefer some updated covers, á la Mariah Carey ‘All I Want for Christmas is You?’ Eventually, Raven decided to compromise, including a variety. She did have other guests to think about.

After some time had passed, during which she hadn't been quite as productive as she had hoped, her phone pinged. She snatched it up, and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the unknown number. She took a deep breath before opening the text, assuring herself it would be just how they had discussed it. Luna wasn’t about to cancel. 

And she didn’t. 

**Luna:** shift over. btw, dress code??

**Raven:** Black tie.

**Raven:** JK

**Raven:** Ugly sweater would be ideal

**Luna:** on it.

Raven smiled at her phone, then looked down at her own attire. Now that Luna was coming, she might want to up her game. Retreating to her closet, she scoured the shelves until she came across the perfect outfit. 

It was a short while before she heard the doorbell ring. "Coming!" she called, and swept her eyes over the apartment one last time before striding to the door and pulling it open. 

Raven was momentarily struck breathless. Luna stood on the threshold, hands tucked into the pockets of her down jacket. Her bright, curly hair framed her soft face and bright eyes. She looked absolutely stunning. After a second of silence, she spoke.

“Not having second thoughts, are you?” Her words had the intonation of a joke, but Raven thought she detected a hint of anxiety in her voice.

She collected herself enough to quip, “No, just relieved that you didn’t bring the hatchet.” 

“Oh, I must have forgotten it in the car. Would you give me a second to go grab it?” Luna responded with a relieved smile, half-turning on the doormat. 

Raven smirked. “Ah, that’s what I get for asking out the pretty girl I just met. They all turn out to be serial killers. When will I learn?”

“Oh, does this happen to you often? Here I was thinking I was special,” Luna replied in mock-offense. 

“Aw, don’t get jealous. None of them made it this far. You want to come in?”

“I would love to.”

Raven stepped out of the way so that Luna could enter. She did so, removed her coat and scarf, and hung them on a nearby coat rack. As she turned back around, she revealed a very loud knit sweater; blue, green, and black, with white text stitched above a picture of what appeared to be eight salmon pulling a sleigh.

“Merry Fishmas,” Raven read aloud. “Wow, that certainly qualifies.”

“I got it at work last year. They’re big on puns over there. You should read the email subject lines.”

“Not sure if mine is technically a pun, but…” Raven lifted her arms to display her own black garment with large, blocky rainbow letters that read “DON WE NOW OUR GAY APPAREL.” Luna grinned appreciatively. 

Raven dropped her arms gave a modest shrug. “Well, technically ‘ _bi apparel_ ,’ but I thought it fit the occasion.” 

“It’s perfect, I’m jealous. My sweater pales in comparison…” 

“Come on, yours is still well-suited to the holiday.” 

“Well, if you can think of a better holiday-themed fish pun than this has… let minnow.” 

“I’ll mullet over and get back to you,” Raven shot back. 

Luna shook her head in appreciation. “Darn. You’re fantastic.” 

“Don’t you mean _fin_ tastic?” Raven teased. 

“Oh my cod, you have to stop.” This cracked them both up. Any lingering doubts about the awkwardness of the situation dissolved in the laughter. 

Once they stopped giggling, Raven felt the need to welcome her guest properly. “Well,” she started, extending her arm grandly to the apartment. “My humble abode.” 

“How lovely. I see you fit the tree in, somehow. Magic?” 

“Upper-body strength and lots of cursing.” 

“Consider me impressed. I was skeptical, but I think your place can pull it off.” 

“Gives it a nice earthy feel, does it not?” 

“Definitely.” 

There was a pause, then Luna clapped her hands down on the counter. “So. Big party. What do you need me to do?” 

“Let’s see.” Raven surveyed the room, then gestured to a few boxes to Luna’s left. “Maybe start with unpacking those ornaments? Then move on to putting up tinsel? I’ve got some baking I need to finish— made the dough a little earlier. It isn’t a party without cookies.” 

“You know it.” Luna took a seat and opened the nearest box. It was filled with an assortment of baubles, homemade ornaments, and tinsel. 

“You wouldn’t mind if I played some songs, would you?” Raven asked, hand hovering above her phone’s screen.

“Not in the least.”

She pressed play. For about a half hour, the pair worked in a comfortable near silence, broken only by some enthusiastic karaoke— sometimes with accompanying dance moves, which grew more and more ridiculous as the late afternoon wore on.

A little while later, the oven beeped, and Raven bent to remove her cookies and set them on a rack to cool. When they were ready, she began to frost them. 

“Hey, want to be my taste tester?” Raven called, once she had added the finishing touches to the first batch.

“Hit me up,” Luna responded, twisting around to face her, task abandoned.

Raven picked up one of the snowmen shapes, and extended it to the other girl. Luna made no move to grab it. Instead, she quirked her eyebrow, almost in a challenge. 

With a smile, Raven stepped closer and lifted the the cookie a little higher, so that it hovered directly in front of Luna’s mouth. 

After a pause, during which their eyes remained locked, Luna took a bite.

Raven knew the gesture might be a little cliche, but hoped that it would come across as sweet. Literally, in fact. Luna closed her eyes and let out a noise of appreciation.

“Mmmm, that is one tasty pastry.”

Raven laughed, but didn’t return to her icing. 

The music faded away, the end of _White Christmas_ dwindling to nothing. Raven wondered distractedly if that was actually just in her imagination, if Luna’s quiet breathing was becoming so loud in her mind that it drowned out everything else— but no. It was just a natural pause in the music, as if it was holding its own breath, waiting for something.

Luna was looking down at her, just a tiny bit taller. Her eyes were deep and brown and distracting, and full of some emotion that Raven couldn’t quite place. As time seemed to slow even further, Raven perceptively noticed a fleck of frosting at the corner of her lips. Just as she started to lean forward, ever so slightly—

The door burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Without turning to look at the intruders, Raven closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Of. Course. After wallowing in her frustration for a fraction of a second, she stepped back slightly, reopened her eyes, and turned towards the door, eyebrows raised.

On her threshold stood two people, faces rosy from the cold, dark hair messy from the wind. She was about to ask why they hadn’t at least rung the doorbell, then remembered who she was talking to. Monty and Jasper were strangers to the concept of knocking. 

Monty stepped hesitantly inside, eyeing the situation. After an extremely awkward few seconds, he explained, “I thought you might need some help. We can leave if we’re… interrupting something.”

The girls in the kitchen glanced at each other. After a beat, Raven said, “No, it’s fine. We actually really could use the help.” Luna nodded sheepishly. She was up to her ears in multi-colored tinsel. Monty smirked. “I thought so.”

The two took off their coats and scarves and hung them next to Luna’s. Raven smiled at their matching Naughty and Nice sweaters as they made their way to the counter. They waved an awkward hello to Luna, while simultaneously shooting Raven a questioning glance. She started.

“Oh, right, sorry. Monty, Jasper, this is Luna. Luna, Monty and Jasper.” Raven had purposefully avoided using an indicator for the girl beside her, because she wasn’t sure what exactly to say. Friend? Date? She had just asked her out, so girlfriend definitely seemed a bit too much. She hoped Luna didn’t notice her hesitation.

Apparently not. Her guest immediately asked, “Oh, is this the Jasper who learned the violin for your caroling excursion?”

“The one and only. A night that none of us will ever forget. Also, I’d say ‘learned’ is generous.”

Jasper looked offended. “Aw, come on, Raven, you have to admit my rendition of Jingle Bells was pretty impressive. Right?” he appealed to Monty.

“Jasp, you know how appreciative I am of your musical talents,” Monty assured him. Looking satisfied with this response, Jasper bounced over to the tree, where he began to dig through the boxes of ornaments. 

“At least that violin kept him from actually singing any carols,” Monty whispered to the girls.

“I heard that!” Jasper called from behind the tree as they laughed. Monty grinned and went to join his boyfriend, taking the box of tinsel from Luna as he did so. Raven shot Luna an apologetic smile, and turned back to frosting her cookies while Luna polished off her own. They would have more time together later. For now, she really did have to focus on setting up a half-decent holiday party for her friends.

With the help of Jasper and Monty, that proved less difficult than she had expected. The apartment slowly transformed into a winter wonderland— paper snowflakes, draped tinsel, fully decked-out tree, the works. Although Jasper had a couple inches on her, Luna had the honor of putting the star on top— with the help of a chair dragged in from the dining room. Raven smiled to herself as she watched her lean forward carefully, meticulously positioning the shining gold-plated tree-topper atop the pine that the two of them had carried together.

Although a little put out about being passed over for this task, Jasper was placated when he found a few sprigs of mistletoe among the other ornaments in one of his designated boxes. His devilish grin inspired some trepidation in Raven. He also made sure there was a roaring fire going in her fireplace, despite her safety-hazard-born reservations.

“There’s a screen in front of it and everything, how bad could this be? We’ll make sure not to leave any flammable objects too close. Okay?” She eventually grumbled her approval and a roaring fire was lit, which Raven had to admit made for a pretty cozy atmosphere.

Soon, stockings were hung above it, the old grandfather clock was strung up with garlands, and frosted cookies were plated and set on a table with other refreshments. Raven’s “Christmas Jams” playlist was blasting music, and everything was ready for the guests to arrive.

And arrive they did. Raven had never realized how small her apartment was until it was filled to the brim with hordes of her rowdy friends and acquaintances. Of course, she had had a lot of them over, but seldom all at once, and never with the accompanying ruckus that came from them all being in the same place at the same time. 

Raven quickly gave up greeting every person who walked in the door, instead deciding that a simple wave would work for now. She occasionally whispered a name or anecdote to Luna, who seemed to be enjoying the running commentary of their arriving guests.

But suddenly, Luna’s eyes widened and she grinned. “Hey, is that Lincoln?” she asked, gaze towards the door. Raven turned, recognizing the dark shaved head immediately.

“Yeah, how do you know him?” she inquired.

“We went to high school together. Wow, what a small world.” Luna glanced at the other girl. “You wouldn’t mind if I went to say hi, would you?”

Raven shook her head with a smile. “Knock yourself out. I’ve been neglecting my duties as hostess anyways.” She watched as Luna made her way to the door, where she immediately struck up a conversation with her old friend. Raven scanned the room for anyone she hadn’t greeted yet, and noticed a couple standing near the desserts.

“Hey, Murph, Emori,” she said, coming up behind them. “Not plotting the theft of my silverware, are you?”

The pair turned and grinned upon seeing her. “Well, if it isn’t the woman of the hour, Reyes herself.”

“Good to see you, Raven,” Emori added, flashing her an innocent smile.

“And don’t worry, I think our hands are too full with your refreshments to be pilfering your fine cutlery,” Murphy said, taking a generous bite from a frosted Santa.

“I hope so. A lot of work went into these. All me, by the way, before Monty and Jasper swooped in to help out.”

“Of course they did. Can’t have their party upstaged without getting credit for it.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation, then, “Who’s that?” Murphy asked, indicating Luna. She was still chatting with Lincoln across the room. “I see everyone from our usual crowd, but those curls are foreign to me.”

“Oh, she’s here as my date,” Raven replied, as casually as she could.

Murphy raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah, she sold me my Christmas tree and I asked her out. She helped decorate, too.” 

“You’re sure you didn’t just seduce a random girl to help you with the decorating because you always leave it for the last minute, Reyes?”

Raven faked offense. “Aw, come on, Murphy, I’m hurt. I asked her out because she’s gorgeous and made me laugh and can carry a billion-ton tree for like half a mile.”

“Fair enough.” Murphy took another bite of his cookie. “So, what’s her name?”

“Luna,” Raven replied, trying to keep her eyes from drifting towards her again, still standing next to Lincoln. 

“Cute. Well, good on you, Reyes. And about time, if I may add.”

Raven smirked. “You may not. But thanks.” She glanced around at her other friends milling around, then back at the couple before her. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you two to your desserts. Good to see you, Emori,” she said with a smile, and turned away. 

She noticed that Luna’s conversation with Lincoln was beginning to wrap up, and started to make her way over before she was cut off by Clarke, who wanted to talk to her about some recent art school drama. With a sigh, Raven resigned herself to a good half hour (at least) of the politics of different artsy cliques. She realized Lincoln had introduced Luna to Octavia, and that the three of them were now deep in conversation. 

After what seemed like hours, someone tapped Raven on the shoulder. She turned from Clarke to see Jasper munching on a reindeer cookie, Monty at his side. 

“Hey, Raven. Monty and I were wondering if you have any board games, or anything like that? Might be fun.”

“Oh, yeah, I think I’ve got some in my closet. I can go grab them,” she offered, thankful for the escape from Clarke’s latest story of pigment-based betrayal.

“Neat, thanks.”

“I can help you carry them in,” Luna volunteered suddenly, appearing at Monty’s shoulder. Apparently her conversation with Lincoln and Octavia had finished. Raven smiled at her gratefully. Finally. 

“Be right back,” she told the others, and led Luna through the kitchen and towards the closet at the end of the hallway, the noises of the party fading away as she closed the door behind them. The hallway was dim, lit only by a single street lamp outside the window, which illuminated their faces and the snow pouring by. As they reached the closet door, Raven paused and turned to her companion. 

“Hey. Sorry I’ve barely seen you since the party started. Kind of rude for me to invite you, then leave you to fend for yourself among my friends. They can be a handful.”

Luna smiled and leaned her back against the wall of the narrow corridor. “I got to talk to a few, and they’re certainly an interesting bunch. I’m pretty sure my wallet changed hands a couple times before ending up back in my purse.”

“Good-hearted delinquents, that’s them.” 

“Yeah, I can imagine that they—” Luna suddenly stopped talking, eyes fixed a few feet above Raven’s head.

“Um, that they what?” Raven prompted.

Without speaking, Luna motioned with raised eyebrows. Raven looked up to see a sprig of a small green plant with red berries suspended above her head.

After a second, she sighed deeply. “I’ll bet you anything this was Jasper’s doing.”

“Shouldn’t have let him be in charge of the mistletoe. Fatal mistake.”

There was a short, awkward pause, each waiting for the other to make a move to leave, or dismiss it. After a beat, Luna glanced up again with a look of contemplation.

“Well, I mean, it _is_ tradition…”

“…And who am I to disagree with the well-established customs of this widely celebrated holiday?” Raven replied, echoing her tone.

“If your ‘Christmas Jams’ playlist is any indication, probably the first in line.”

Raven grinned. “That’s fair.” There was a beat, another moment of silence that could have been described as awkward— but more accurately as anticipatory. 

After a second, Luna reached out a hand and touched Raven’s cheek, gently, uncertainly. 

Raven inhaled sharply, feeling as unsure as the other girl looked. She managed a small smile, trying to let Luna know that she was okay with this. She _was_ okay— although she thought her heart might just shatter from beating so quickly.

Luna leaned down, and softly, gently, with great affection, captured Raven in a kiss. She felt her eyes close, Luna’s thumb trace her cheek, hyper-aware of every sensation tingling throughout her body.

After a moment, they pulled apart. Raven opened her eyes, a little breathless, in time to see Luna do the same. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling, and she looked happy— if a little surprised at herself.

After a second, Raven laughed in disbelief. “Wow.”

“Wow,” Luna echoed.

Raven laughed again, leaning her head onto Luna’s shoulder for a brief second, before turning to the closet and opening it up, still grinning. 

“Come on, let’s get back out there. They’re probably waiting for the board games.” After grabbing a few from the top of the stack, Raven offered her hand, which Luna took gladly.

They re-entered the party side by side, holding hands and grinning sheepishly, each clutching a game in their free hand. Raven noticed Jasper wink at her from across the room and stuck out her tongue, but after a second she couldn’t help but grin back. The party continued on, as people danced and laughed and talked and ate and played games, Raven and Luna joining in with enthusiasm. But their hands never unclasped, and they never left each other’s side.

As midnight neared, the last few stragglers were making their way out the door. As he and Jasper left, arm in arm, Monty waved over his shoulder to the pair sitting side by side on the couch in front of the fireplace. Raven waved back with a smile, before twisting to face Luna as the door shut behind them.

“So… would you maybe… want to hang out another time? Like, another date?”

Luna smiled softly, tracing circles across Raven’s palm with her thumb. “I’d love that. Coffee, Thursday? I know a place.”

“Can’t wait.”

There was a brief, comfortable pause, during which Raven laid her head on Luna’s shoulder, looking into the flickering flames of the hearth before them. Just then, the grandfather clock in the kitchen struck midnight, twelve chimes ringing out into the still air.

“Merry Christmas, Luna,” Raven murmured, taking in the glow from the fireplace and string of lights above it, the lingering smell of cookies baking, and the snow drifting past outside the window, all turning the already pleasant scene into something nearly magical.

“Merry Christmas, Raven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there it is! Again, I'm really sorry for the long wait. I love writing sea mechanic, though, so this was fun to get back into. Who's excited for the new season?! I still am, if only to see my favs Raven and Monty again. Maybe the next thing I write will be an AU where Luna and Jasper survive... I have a lot of thoughts on that, so it's a possibility. (Or if anyone has a prompt or two, I'd love to hear them.)
> 
> Anyways, please comment and tell me what you thought of this, or come talk to me on Tumblr over at my main @mythicalquill, or my sea mech blog @ravenxluna! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Mayyybe this scenario is a bit unrealistic (and maybe I know nothing about how Christmas-tree lots operate), but what the heck? It’s Christmas! I can always use more fluffy sea mechanic in my life. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll try to get the second chapter up before everyone’s lost that holiday spirit. Likely elements: Holiday sweaters, Christmas cookie baking, mistletoe, maybe a little Jasper/Monty on the side. Happy holidays!
> 
> (By the way, comments on my fics make me happier than pretty much anything ever. Or, feel free to come talk to me about anything (particularly sea mech, of course) at either my main tumblr @mythicalquill, or @ravenxluna! I'll let you figure out what that one's a side-blog for.)


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